Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After last night’s utter domination of the Marlins, the Dodgers were even bigger favorites today, and you’d think with the way baseball is they’d be in danger of a letdown.
Well no such thing happened, as Clayton Kershaw had perfect game sort of stuff and Edwin Rios had his signature game with a pair of dingers as the Dodgers rolled to a 9-1 win.
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Kershaw was comically dominant tonight. He struck out the first seven Marlins hitters and eight of the first nine.
SEVEN straight Ks to start the game for @ClaytonKersh22. 🔥
— MLB (@MLB) August 15, 2019
(MLB x @Gatorade) pic.twitter.com/E30nTaNMSD
He also took a perfect game into the 5th, but it was broke up with a two-out single by Harold Ramirez.
That was one of only two hits, both singles (one of the infield variety), for the Marlins on the night. Another runner reached on an error but was erased by a double play.
Kershaw never allowed a Marlin past second base in seven innings, as he struck out 10 in just 90 pitches and obviously walked nobody. Impressive.
Part of the reason he was allowed to cruise was that the Dodgers again put on a power show. That started early in the 1st as Justin Turner hit a two-out dong for his 21st of the year and he already has more dongs after the All-Star break than before. After a Cody Bellinger bunt single, Corey Seager followed with a two-run oppo blast to make it 3-0, his 11th of the year.
After singling in the 2nd, Rios stepped up in the 4th and crushed his 1st dong in the majors to make it 4-0.
As a reward, he got the silent treatment.
Two innings later, it was Rios AGAIN, and he absolutely obliterated his 2nd homer in the majors. It came after a Matt Beaty walk and extended the lead to 6-0.
Playing against the Marlins had me feeling it.
He got a second silent treatment for his efforts.
Later in the game he also worked a 12-pitch walk.
The bats added another run in the 7th behind consecutive singles from JT, Bellinger, and Seager to make it 7-0. Then they continued to pile on in the 8th. Walks to Rios, Kristopher Negron, and Joc Pederson loaded the bases with one out, and Max Muncy plated two with a double to right for a 9-0 lead.
Taking over for Kershaw, Yimi Garcia pitched the last two innings, and while he got a scoreless 8th that included a strikeout he then did his normal thing and gave up a dong in the 9th to ruin the shutout.
Yimi followed by issuing a walk, but then got an infield pop and two strikeouts to end it.
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The Dodgers are now 81-41, one win away from a .666 winning percentage. They lead the NL West by 19 games, the NL by 9 games, and are tied for the best record in baseball.
They will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon at 9:05 AM HST/12:05 PM PST/3:05 PM EST. The Marlins get to face Walker Buehler as their reward for the last two games, though at least they send out arguably their best starter in Caleb Smith.
